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“But we can’t,” I say. “Not yet.”
Corvus groans. “Come on,” he says. “I saved the day; don’t I deserve a reward?”
“Wesaved the day,” I say. “Youalmost got yourself killed.”
“I was wounded!”
“Which is why you need to rest,” I say, putting my hand on his shoulder and pushing him away slightly. Fuck, I don’t want to; I’ve wanted to get in his pants since the day we met, and that impulse has only gotten stronger. “And remember, I happen to be married to the guy who’s supposed to grant you amnesty…and he’s got some intense trust issues.”
“Don’t we all?” Corvus says. “But yeah—you’re probably right.”
Our hands find each other and our fingers intertwine. It’s a strangely sweet gesture, given how my hormones arescreamingat me to get naked. We stay silent like that for a moment, Corvus’s thumb drawing idle circles on the back of my hand.
“So you’re going to stay?” he says.
I shrug. “I didn’t say that.”
“You called Atlas your husband—not for show,” Corvus says. “And you said ‘not yet’ about…this.”
“This?”
He grins. “Me being your boyfriend.”
“Stop being sweet,” I say. “It’ll make me like you less.”
“So now you like me?” he asks.
I laugh. “I guess we’ll have to find out…since we have all the time in the world.”
CHAPTER FIFTY
?
PENN
At some point during the flight, I drift off.
It makes sense; it feels like I haven’t truly slept since Layla went missing, and now that I’ve found her, I can finally rest. I feel like I could still sleep for several more hours when the ship finally lands at the back of the villa, in a docking bay near the water. Joya is beautiful when we hover it, the water sparkling as the ship lands.
I barely notice the view because the only thing I’m focused on are the two Aelyds waiting for me.
Atlas stands tall behind the villa, his shadow long on the paved floor. He doesn’t have his shield, which makes him look even taller and more imposing than he normally does. Keon stands by his side, his hair down in blur curls around his shoulders, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
I’m aware I look awful, and there’s a lot we need to catch up on, but when the door to the ship opens and lowers to the floor, I run out so that I can jump into Atlas’ arms.
It’s only halfway there that I’m aware that maybe I shouldn’t do this; he might still balk at physical touch. But he meets me there, wrapping me around his arms as he holds me close. I lean my head against his shoulder as he pulls me into his embrace, his form hard and lean as he hugs me.
“You’re back,” he says, pulling away from me. “I was worried about you.”
“I didn’t take too long, did I?”
“No,” he replies. “You didn’t. If you had taken any longer, I would’ve sent for you.”
I pull away from him, my hands in his. Now that he’s allowing me to touch him, it feels so odd not to when I’m right in front of him. His fingers are interwoven with mine, only letting me go when he sees me turning my head to look at Keon.
“He was worried about you,” Atlas says.
Keon laughs as he takes a step toward me. From behind him, I can hear Corvus, Zaire and Layla approaching us slowly. I know they’re helping Corvus approach us since his leg is still a bit hurt. I don’t know how long he’s going to take to heal.
